Collapsible last



Sept. 1, 1925.

L. J. .JAMES COLLAPSIBLE LAST Filed March 28, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 EgtSept. l, 1925.

L. J. JAMES coLLAPsIBLE LAST Filed March 28, 1922 2 Sheets-sneeze Lewis.[.frfees @23% hi@ @ttm/maj Patented Sept. l, 1925. y*

UNITED vvsfrmiezs LEWISJ. .miams or n n v1,551,665 PATENT OFFICE.

' COLLAPSIBLE LAST.

Application filed March 28, 1922. Serial No. 547,587.

T0 all whom t may Concern:

Be it known that I, Lewis J. JAMES, a subject of the King of GreatBritain, residing at XVaterbury, in the` county of New Haven and Stateof Connecticut, have invented Acertain new and useful Improvement-s inaCollapsible Last, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

Thisinvention relates to a collapsible last, more particularly to a lastof that `type which is shortened by a relativey vsliding movement of thetoe and heel sections in removingit from a footwear article.

Many lasts of the type in which the last is shortened bya relativemovement of its toe and heel sections havebeen devised, and in many ofthem rmeans vare 'provided for automatically locking the sections whenin extended or voperative position. VHowever,r as far as I am aware, themajorityof these,y require a special tool which must be insert-` edtounlock the last, 'and in some instances must be given a specialmovement, such as a rotary movement, before .the last can be unlocked;-Moreover, .so far' as I am aware, in allofjthe collapsible lasts Voflthe prior art thelastv mustfbe manuallyCollapsed or extended andmerelylocksy automatically y when moved to extended position.- l A An objectof mv invention is to Lprovide an improved collapsible last. Anotherobject isto'provi ically extending last.

4Still another object istoprovide an auto-y matically extending andlocking last.

A further object is to provide a last which de an automatmay be bothunlocked and collapsed in a single operation bytheinsertion of a tooltherein. f C.

For a detail disclosure of the invention reference is'had` to theaccompanying specification and drawings, in which` latter:

Fig. "1 is' a side#elevation,fpartlyf insection, of one form ofmyvimproved last;

' Fig.'3=is a sectionon` the Vline 3-3 of Fig. f4 is vaside"elevationhpartly in section, ofamodified form; l,

` Fig.V 5 is'wa vsect'onon the line 5--.5 of Figagandy w Fig. 6 is abroken away perspective of the heel vsection 'of the last shown inFig-4i.' 'f Referring tothe form shown in Figs. ,1'

Fifr. 2 isa sectionifonr the line 2-2 ot to 3, the last body 1 is formedwith av toe section 2 provided with an inclined` rear wall 8, and ifdesired fibre or` other inserts 2 may be disposed in the sole fortacking purposes. The heel section 4 is provided with an inclinedfrontvwall 5, which at its lower end is provided with the rearwardlystepped portion 5 extending .to the sole.

yThe inclined ywall of the toe section is cut away to form a tapereddove-tail rib 6 wid,- ening toward the lower end, which, however, doesnot extend'all the way to the sole, the body of the wall 3 at each sideof the lower end of the rib forming stop shoulders 7 for a purpose to belater described. Thefront wall 5 of theheel section is cut away to formartapered dove-tail slot 8 in which the dovetail rib 6 may fit andthelower portion or end of the wall 5 forms stop shouldersk 9 at each sideof the slot 8 which coactwith the stop shoulders `Ton the toe section tolimit relative movement of the sections in one direction. y l

An opening'l() is-ormed inthe wall y3 through the dove-tail rib 6, and alocking Vand section. moving lever 11 is pivotally which' position a camportion .14 at the Y lower end of the lever is adapted to engage a wearpinl `disposed on the face of the steppedk portion 5 to lock thesections againstcollapsing. TheY use of the wear pin 15 is notessential, but as the lasts are preferably formed of aluminum it isVdesirableY to insert the wear pin to prevent undue wear of` theportionr 5. The lever 11 is formed with a notch 16 in its edge,and inthe position shown in Fig. la pin 17 secured in the side walls of theheel section i is adapted to engage the upper wall of the notch. Atvitsother end the lever isA provided with an actuating extensionlS disposedin alignment with an opening 19 in; the top ofthe heel` section, throughwhich opening a jack spindle 20 or other tool maybe insertedv to actuatethe ylever 11 in opposition to the springs 13.

Referring to the modified form shown in Figs. 4'to'6,the last body 21Vis formed with WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, AssIGNoR To THE -sHon HARDWARE sCOMPANY, A CORPORATION or.. CONNECTICUT. l

a toe section 22 having an inclined rear wall 23, and a heel section 24provided with an inclined front wall 25, which wall 25 is provided witha rearwardly offset extension 2G at its bottom. The rear wall 23 of thetoe section is cut away to provide spaced and stepped straight dove-tailribs 27 and 28, that is, the rib 27 is of less width than the rib 2S.The rib 28 does not extend all the way to the bottom of the toe section,and the wall 23 forms stop shoulders 29 at each side of the base ot' therib. The front wall 25 of the heel section is provided with a slot 30,as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. This slot is dove-tailed on its upper portionas shown at 31 to coact with the dove-tail rib 27, and adjacent itslower end is provided with a wider dove-tail portion 232 to coact with'the dove-tail rib 28. The lowei end portions of the wallV 25 at eachside of the slot 30 ferm stop shoulders 38 which coact with theshoulders 29 to limit the sliding movement of Jthe sections when inextended position.

The wall 23 of the toe section is provided with an opening 34, andsecured to the side walls of said opening in the present instance arebrackets 3o in which the locking and section-moving lever 36 ispivotally mounted on the pivot pin 37. It desired the brackets may beformed integral with the section 22. fr pin 38 projects rearwardly fromthe lver 3G and one end of a coil spring 89 is connected to said pin,the other end of the spring being connected to a pin' 40 secured in thewall 253. It will be seen that this spring tends to normally urge thelever 3G to the position shown in Fig. 4, in which its lower locking end41 coacts with the shoulder 42 on the extension 2G to prevent thecollapsing of the last. he lever 3G is provided with a notch 43, throughwhich passes a pin 44 secured in the side walls ot the heel section 24,the pin in the last position shown in Fig. 4 being in contact with theupper wall of the notch. The other end o1e the lever is provided with anactuating extension 45 disposed in alignment with an opening 46 in thetop of the heel section, through which opening a jack spindle or othertool 47 may be inserted to actuate the lever in opposition to the spring39. In the form shown in Fig. 4 the last is also provided with openings48 for the reception of the usual last supporting pins.

In the operation of the form shown in Fig. 1 the last when in positionin a tootwear article is automatically extended and locked in extendedposition by the action of the springs 13, which move the lever 11 sothat the upper wall of its notch 1G contacts with the pin 17 on the heelsection, causing the heel and toe sections to be relatively moved untilthe shoulders 9 on the heel section Contact with the shoulders 7 on thetoe section, which limits any further relative movement or" the sectionsin one direction. At this time the cam or locking portion 14 of the levr engages the wear pin 15 as shown in Fig. 1 and prevents any relativemovement or' the sections in the opposite direction. lVhen it is desiredto remove the last from the footwear article the jack spindle or othertool 20 is inserted in the opening 19 and pressed against the extension1S o'f lever 11. This first disengages the locking shoulder 14 trom thewear pin 15, thereby unlocking the last, and in the further movement ofthe lever 11 the lower wall of the notch 16 contacts with the pin 17 andmoves the heel section on the toe section in the manner shown in dottedlines in Fig. 1. It will be seen that by reason of the lost motionconnection of the pin 17 with the lever 11 through the notch 16, inCollapsing the last the lever does not tend to relatively move thesections until after they have iirst been unlocked, while in moving thesections to extended or locked position the lock does not operate untilafter the sections have been moved to extended position. The operationof the modied form shown in Figs. 4 to G is in all respects similar tothe operation of the form shown in Fig. 1.

It will be seen that I have provided a simple, easily operated lastwhich is provided with an inclined connection between the heel and toesections by means of which the last may be foreshortened without firstlengthening it, and I have provided a last which is both unlocked andmoved to collapsed position by merely inserting a tool therein, andwhich automatically moves to extended position and locks upon removal ofthe tool. The necessity of manually collapsing or extending the last inaddition to locking and unlocking it is therefore entirely obviated.

IVith the embodiments disclosed herein many moditications will suggestthemselves to those skilled in the art, and I do not desire the scope ofthe invention to be limited otherwise than as defined in the appendedclaims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to protectby Letters Patent is: Y

1. A collapsible last comprising movablyv connected sections, and meanswholly within the last for relatively moving them in one direction, thelast being provided with an opening in alignment with said irst meanswhereby a tool may be engaged with said lirst means to relatively movethe sections in an opposite direction.

2. A collapsible last Comprising movably connected sections, a leverwithin the last for extending or collapsing the sections, and springmeans tor imparting one of said movements to the lever, the wall of thelast being provided with an opening in alignment with said lever wherebya tool may be lou reo

engaged witlr'the;leverv towinipart toit theA opposite movement.` Y

3. A collapsiblef last: comprising' slidably connectedtoe/and'heelsections, a lever'within :the 'lasttorlelatively moving thesections, and a vspring urging saidlever'to extendthe sections, one of`the sections being provided with 'an opening in alignment with` saidlever whereby a tool may be engaged: with the lever to actuate ittocollapse the sections. -v y f 4. A collapsible last comprising movablyconnected sections, tool operable means withinthe last `for unlockingand collapsing the sections, and means iffor automatically them inextended posi-tion, said last named means including resilientactuatingmeans.

7. A collapsible last comprisingy relatively movable sections, meansmounted in one section and having section moving and locking engagementswith the other section, Yand means for actuating said last named means.

8. A collapsible last comprising relatively movable sections, meansdisposed within the last and actuable in one direction to successivelyextend and ,lockv the sections and in the other direction tosuccessively unlock and collapse the sections, and means normally urgingsaid-firstl means to extend and lock the sections. Y y

9. A collapsible last comprising relatively movable sections, meansmounted in one section and having last extending and locking engagementswith the other section, `and means wholly within the last for actuatingsaid last named means to successively extend and lock the sections, onesection having an opening whereby an instrument may be engaged withsaidfirst means to unlock and collapse the sections.

10. A collapsible last comprisingmovable sections, and a spring actuatedlever for relatively moving and locking the sections', the last havingan opening whereby V'a tool may engage the lever to move it in.opposition to said spring.

11. A collapsible last comprising rela-- tively movable sections,"a`lever for moving them to extended position and locking them orunlocking. and movingthem to collapsed position, and a spring for urgingsaid lever to extending and locking position, the last having an openingformed in its top in alignment with said lever, whereby the lever may beengaged by a tool and moved to unlocking and' collapsing position inopposition to saidsp-ring. f

.12.V Av collapsible last. comprising relatively l movable sections,.a'lever pivotally mounted. in one/section-and extending into the'other-and having last extending and locking engagements with the latter,and spring means vforvk moving said lever to extend and locki'the last.

:18. -A, collapsible last comprising relatively/movable sections, alever l'pivotally mounted in-one section and extending into the otherand having last extending and locking engagements with the latter, onesection having anopening whereby an instrument-1may be`engaged withsaidleverto unlock and collapse the last, and spring means tending to urgesaid lever to last extending and locking position.

14. A collapsible last comprising slidably .connected sections, meanswholly within the last for moving the sectionsv to extended position,co-aeting stops on adjoining faces of the sections Vfor limiting saidmovement, and coacting vmea-ns carried by said first means and onesection for locking the sections in y extended position.

15. A collapsible last comprising relative-ly movable sections, a leverpivotally mounted in one section and extendinginto the second, saidlever having an actuating arm, a locking extension and a notch, saidsecond section having a shoulder cooperating Ywith said extension, a pinpassing through said notch, and engageable by opposite walls thereof torelatively move the sections, and an opening in alignment with saidactuating arm, and resilient means for urging said extension intolocking cooperation with said shoulder.

' 16. A collapsible last comprising sections having an inclined slidingn connection, a lever pivoted to onesection and having a lost motionsection actuating connection with the other, a locking shoulder on the`last named section adapted to coact with said lever, and means foryieldingly maintaining said' lever in locking relation to said shoulder.

17. A collapsible last comprising two sections having an inclinedsliding dove-tail Y connection, spring actuated means for relativelymoving the sections to operative position. and locking them, and meanswhereby said first means maybe reversely actuated to unlock the sectionsand' relatively move them to inoperative position. i

18. A collapsible last comprising two sections having a slidingdove-tail connect-ion, coacting shoulders on the sections limiting ablein one direction for successively moving said shoulders into engagementand locking them, and an opening in one section whereby an instrumentmay be engaged their movement in one direction, means movwith said lastnamed means to move it in an opposite direction and thereby unlock saidshoulders and relatively move the sections.

19. A collapsible last comprising slidably connected sections, meansactuable in oppoa lever pivotally mounted in one section and having aportion adapted toengage the other Section and lock it against movement,a notch in said lever, a pin on said other section disposed in saidnotch and having a lost motion driving connection with the Wall thereof,and means for moving said lever to locking position, the last having anopening therein whereby an instrument may be engaged with said lever tomove it from locking position and into engagement with said pin to movesaid other section.

Signed at lVaterbury, county of New Haven` and State of Connecticut,this 20th day of March, 1922.

LEVIS J. JAMES.

